Hundreds register to vote

By Rebecca Bahr

The DeKalb County clerk’s office is speculating over whether the large number of students registered to vote in DeKalb will translate into more voters at the polls in November.

Close to 1,000 students registered to vote before the Oct. 9 deadline this year.

“It will be interesting to see whether people exercise their right and actually cast a ballot on Nov. 6,” Sharon Holmes, DeKalb County chief deputy clerk, said.

Although this year’s figure does not compare to the number of registrants in the 1988 presidential elections, Holmes said she is pleased with the number of people taking an interest in the campaigns.

In 1988, almost 6,000 of the 36,695 registered voters in DeKalb were NIU students. In that election 57 percent of DeKalb registrants actually made it to the polls.

Registrar Jordan Kagan, an NIU student, worked 14 hours a week for three weeks signing up students.

“I am satisfied with the results,” Kagan said, “With what we had to work with I think it is an impressive number.”

Kagan said he has plans to improve recruitment efforts this spring, including establishing a committee of at least 20 people, and starting earlier in the semester.